


That Summer

by Megara_The_Jedi_14



Category: Outer Banks (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Why Did I Write This?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:29:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26607523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Megara_The_Jedi_14/pseuds/Megara_The_Jedi_14
Summary: At the beginning of that summer, Carlie Brooks didn't expect her summer to turn out the way that it did. She had expected it to include hanging out with her friends, getting drunk, and getting tanned on H.M.S. Pogue. She got those, along with a treasure hunt. Follow Carlie as she and her friends go on an adventure to last a lifetime.
Relationships: JJ (Outer Banks)/Original Character(s), John B. Routledge & Original Female Character(s), Kiara (Outer Banks) & Original Female Character(s), Kiara/Pope (Outer Banks), Pope & Original Character, Sarah Cameron/John B. Routledge
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This is just an OC story. If you wanna read it, you can, If you wanna make suggestions you can. I’ve been working on this character since the shoe came out, but I’m just now getting to writing it. The only thing that’s really a big decision is either just have her end up single or with someone, so we’ll see. 
> 
> OC’s name is Carlie Brooks. Her family has money, but due to her parents being out of town constantly for work, she lives with her grandma. Her older brother, Carson, is out of town for college. She happens to have a Jeep Wrangler, but like the rest of the Pogues, takes rides with John B. I’ll explain more as we go.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own this series or its' script. I tired to change the words so that I'm not copying.

If you were a normal person living on the Outer Banks, when you thought of Carlie Brooks, you thought of her bright personality and her even brighter smile. However, if you were a “kook” on the Outer Banks, you thought of her as a traitor when she barely considered herself a “kook.” If you were a “pogue,” she was the friendliest person you could meet.

Her parents were considered kooks, while her brother and her were considered pogues due to the people that they hung out with. It didn’t matter though as her parents were barely home during summer except for social events and they weren’t there during the school year either and the fact that she was basically living with her grandmother.

The sunrise was beautiful, Carlie thought to herself as she took another sip of beer as her friends walked around a beach house that was being built. John B. was trying to balance on the roof, JJ was sitting on scaffolding next Carlie, and Pope was messing with the tools. Kiara, or more commonly known Kie, was walking through the house, looking at everything.

“That’s what, a three-story fall to the deck?” Pope said, looking up at John B. “I’d give you about one-in-three chance survival.”  
John B. hummed in response, stuck his finger in his mouth, brought it back out to test the wind. Carlie leaned forward against the railing of the scaffolding. 

“Should I do it?” He asked.

“Yeah, jump.” Pope raised the drill in his hand, “I’ll shoot you on the way down.”

“You’ll shoot me?” responded John B.“

They’re gonna have Japanese toilets and towel warmers.” Kie came out of the house and onto the porch.

JJ scoffed, “Of course. Why wouldn’t they?” Carlie laughed. It all sounded ridiculous.

“This used to be a turtle habitat, but who cares about the turtles?” Kie said, taking in another look around the construction zone.

“I mean, I can’t have cold towels.” JJ remarked.

Carlie laughed. “Yeah, ‘cause that’s what’s important here.” JJ nudged her arm with his.

Kie turned to look up at John B, “Can you please not kill yourself?”

“And don’t spill the beer,” JJ said, following that with a swig of his own. “I won’t be giving you another.”

This statement, of course, was followed by John B dropping his beer.

“Of course, you did. Right when tell you not to.” John B groaned at JJ’s comment, while Carlie laughed and took a swig of her own beer. 

Pope walks over to the side of the back porch. “Uh, guys, security’s here.” Pope turned to face them, “Let’s wrap it up.”

Carlie looks at JJ, shoving him to move, before making a move herself to jump off the scaffolding.

“The boys are early today” John B remarks as JJ turns to him, “let’s roll, Humpty Dumpty.”

Carlie lands on the wood and walks towards Kie, who says “let’s go boys.”

JJ thought that this would be a good time to mock the security guard.

“Hey Gary, is that you? It’s me! Good to see you!”

Carlie called out, but couldn’t stop smiling, “JJ, stop it!”

“You’re asking for it” Kie added.

“JJ!”” The guard, Gary, yelled out.

JJ took off, the rest following. Carlie, thankful that she was wearing actual shoes for once.

Gary yelled for them stop, but they didn’t, laughing as they ran and zigzagged through the house’s structure. 

JJ almost running straight into the guard, luckily avoiding any hand that Gary had out. Carlie, who was following JJ, managed to avoid Gary, by running past JJ. She barely heard Gary call out, guessing that there was another guard.

“Go Pope! Carlie go!” That she heard, JJ close behind. 

Carlie, happy that she had a running start, went over the fence gracefully. Well, as gracefully as one could who had been drinking and was basically running on pure adrenaline at that point. 

She heard JJ yell something at Pope, who had fallen, and she ran towards the van. She hopped in and JJ and Pope followed closely.

“Look, Gary’s going for a raise!” John B laughed.

The door hadn’t closed yet, so JJ took another opportunity to mock the guard.

“You guys are gonna give him a heart attack.”

Carlie crawled into the front seat, knowing that JJ was gonna be a handful.

Eventually, JJ threw a beer towards Gary, who had caught it.

“They ain’t payin’ you enough, man.” JJ said as Kie pulled him back in.

Soon enough, they passed the Outer Banks sign.

Underneath the town name were the words “Paradise on Earth.”

In a way, it was. To Carlie, it was home. It was where her parents weren’t, as they were always away on business. It was where she grew up, living with her grandmother. She had a great group of friends here.

However, there was a slight difference in her family and friends.

Her parents were considered “kooks,” which meant they were rich, but only because they both worked. They also had a house on the Figure Eight. Lucky for Carlie and her older brother, Carson, their college and other things needed were paid for. Unfortunately, Carson and Carlie hated the “kook” lifestyle. They, like their parents, rather earn their keep. However, while living with their grandmother, they didn’t have to due to their parents giving them money. In return, Carlie used the money on her friends when she could, but mainly used it for her Jeep Wrangler. She saved up a majority of her money for that car. 

She was considered a “pogue” because she lived on The Cut side of the island. All of her friends were there and her grandma, too. She felt more at home and at peace on this side of the town than the other.

Carlie watched as the Figure Eight went and turned into The Cut. The scenery only really changing when it came to the homes on the sides of the road.

This may be the time to introduce the friends she mentioned earlier.

John B. Routledge, basically the leader of the group. He drove the gang everywhere. His dad went missing while searching for a shipwreck off the coast nine months ago, so his house was always the hotspot of their hangouts, but it was like that beforehand.

JJ Maybank, also known as John B’s best friend. He was Carlie’s as well. He came from a long line of fisherman and was great surfer, but nobody tells him because it would inflate his ego if he knew. 

Carlie had known JJ and John B since elementary school. Her grandma would look after them when their parents would ask. When those two would go off and get in a mess of their own, Carlie was right there beside them. In a way, they were the reason that she had a taste of freedom and was never going back. 

Pope Heyward, the only one in the group with a scholarship and a possible way out of this town. Very intelligent, very reliable. His dad was pretty lit, though. If you needed anything, you went to Heyward.

Kiara Carerra, or as everyone calls her, Kie. She was constantly trying to save the turtles and the environment. Carlie wasn’t exactly sure why she hungout with them, but she couldn’t judge Kie as she was they were the same with the rich parents shit. Only hers were involved in her everyday life. Kie’s parents actually owned The Wreck, a local restaurant that was a hit with the tourists. Also, all the guys in the group had some kind of thing for her.

Life was going on. Although, John B was being threatened with being tossed into foster caee due to his father’s absence and the (true) rumors of him living by himself. 

And then Hurricane Agatha came.


	2. Ch 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi guys! I feel like this chapter is longer than the first, but I felt like I had to make up for the fact that this story is going to be forever long. I’m still trying to establish relationships with the characters, but I felt that I could really only do Pope this chapter. Also, my friend and I have decided that Carlie and JJ are gonna have a complicated relationship, and trust me, I've read enough fanfiction to feel like I got this down.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own this show or its’ script. I am trying to keep to the original scenario without straying too far from the script (i.e. changing words and sentences.)

Carlie spent the hours before Hurricane Agatha’s landfall trying to help her grandma, who she called Mimi, but all the locals knew her as Miss Ann. She had helped prepare the usual survival kit and made sure that Mimi had her phone plugged in and the weather channel playing in the background. Once Carlie thought everything was fine and was told that some people were going to help cover the windows, she hugged her grandma goodbye and ran off to surf the waves with John B and Pope. 

As soon as Carlie got in the van, the group headed off to the beach. 

“Hey, Smiles, is Miss Ann okay being alone?” Pope asked. 

Carlie scooted up from the back and put her tanned legs in the space between the front seats. She quickly went to work her blonde shoulder-length hair into double braids. “Yeah, she should be good. She has a survival kit ready. Honestly, she claims that she’ll be fine and that she’s faced worst storms.”

John B laughed, “Miss Ann is one of the most stubborn people in The Cut.”

Carlie smiled, “That she is.” The rain from Hurricane Agatha was hitting the windshield harder now.

As soon as John B parked, the small group grabbed their boards and ran to the beach, where it was closed off. 

As they came to a stop, Carlie wiped the rain out of her eyes as she felt it hit her body. 

“It’s a double overhead out there, guys.” John B called out.

Pope questioned, “Double overhead?”

Carlie looked at the waves, “What the-“ The waves were huge. Bigger than she had ever seen them. 

Thunder boomed across the beach. Carlie could feel it in her bones.

“Those waves aren’t surfable, dude.” Pope clarified.

John B laughed, “Wanna bet?” He took off running.

Pope and Carlie watched him for a moment before looking at each other. 

“Do you want to go out there?” Pope nodded his head towards the waves.

Carlie laughed and shook her head. “Hell no. I’m not risking my neck.” 

The two made their way to the sand and proceeded to sit on their boards. They had to wait for John B anyways due to that fact that walking in a hurricane was basically a death wish. 

Carlie was glad that it was Pope that she was sitting on this beach with. She may have been best friends with JJ and John B and great friends with Kie, but Pope was the one she felt the closest to. 

“So, Smiles, what’s going on in life?” 

Carlie smiled at him, “Pope, you see me everyday, what could possibly be new?”

Pope looked towards the ocean, where John B was currently wiping out. “Hey, I don’t know what goes on at home exactly.”

“True, well, other than my parents announcing their usual return for Midsummer’s and Carson avoiding coming home because of them,” Carlie paused, looking at her pink bikini bottoms. They were a stark contrast to the darkening world around them. “Nothing has really been happening. What about you?” 

Pope shrugged his shoulders, “Y’know preparing for the scholarship interview, but nothing really.”

A moment passed, the two of them watching John B wipe out again.

“How’s it going with JJ?” And there it was. Pope was the only one who knew about Carlie’s possible feelings for blond boy in the group.

Carlie shook her head. “As of this moment, never telling him.” 

“Why not?”

“Well for one, JJ, John B, and you all happen to have feelings of some sort for Kie.”

“No, no,” Pope shook his head. “We don’t.”

“You don’t have to deny it. She is the better choice out of the both of us.” Carlie couldn’t help but compare Kie and her. 

The two of them weren’t completely opposites, but they did have different personalities. The only thing Carlie had going for her was her bright personality that was brimming with positivity. 

“I don’t think that is as big of problem as you think it is.” Pope said

“And reason number two would be that JJ would never get with me,” Carlie gave a small laugh. “I don’t think I’m his type and he’s known me since what feels like forever.”

Another moment passed before Carlie brought up the most important rule. 

“Finally, there’s the whole ‘no pogue on pogue macking’ rule. I don’t wanna find out what happens if that rule is broken.”

“Okay, I gotta tell you something and I know I shouldn’t…” Pope smiled as he as paused for dramatic effect.

Carlie looked at him, “Well, you gotta tell me now, and I know that you can’t keep secrets from me.”

“Okay, okay. I think JJ likes you, but I’m about eighty-five percent sure.”

Carlie was shocked, but laughed anyway. “Only eighty-five? Dang.”

Pope looked at her seriously, “Carlie, JJ is always near you, wanting to hold your hand, touching you, hugging you when you’re sad.”

Carlie couldn’t help but laugh. There was no way in hell that JJ liked her like that. “He always does that! That’s how he shows me that he cares. Plus we’ve been friends forever..”

Pope tried to give her a look that said “c’mon,” but at that moment the rain become harsher and John B was coming in from the surf. They struggled to get to the van as the rain came down harder than before.

Getting into the van, Carlie shut the side door and settled in, waiting for John B to start driving. Carlie looked throughout her bag that she had brought and found a dark blue hoodie. She quickly put it on to get rid of the chill that took over her body. She then quickly put on the shorts that she had tossed aside when they had got to the beach.

As they got closer to Pope’s house, John B looked in rearview and made eye contact with Carlie.

“Am I taking you home?” He asked, quietly.

Carlie shook her head, “No, I told Mimi that I was staying at yours tonight just so that she knew I was staying in one place.”

Pope turned to face her from the front seat, “Did you even tell her about you going to the beach?”

“Do I look like I have death sentence?” Pope had to laugh at that. Your grandma was pretty fierce when she needed to be.

The small group got to the Heyward residence and sent Pope off went a “stay safe.” Carlie moved to the front seat. The movement of the van and the rain lulling her into a sleep-like trance the whole ride back to John B’s place. 

“Smiles, wake up.” John B said as he pulled the van to a stop near the the chateau, meaning they would have to run to the door. 

As they ran, Carlie could feel her bag and her hoodie being soaked by the downpour. 

John B opened the door, Carlie soon following. Looking down at her clothes, she walked into the spare room, hoping that JJ would have a spare, and hopefully clean, shirt for her to borrow. Yeah, that’s how close they were to each other. If anything, she probably had a good chunk of his clothes at her house that were actually clean.

She heard the door open again as soon as she put on a shirt. Just in time, because JJ chose to open the door to the spare bedroom right then. 

“Hey, sweet girl.” He said. JJ had already been in the process of tearing off his shirt for bed. Typical.

“Hey,” Carlie said as she threw her hoodie down. There was no way it was going to dry at this point and she didn’t want to start the dryer with the hurricane coming. “I’m borrowing a shirt. Just to let you know.”

JJ laughed at this and Carlie left the room, heading towards the pull-out bed in the living room. “Y’know one of these days, I’m going to get all of my shirts back.”

The wind started getting louder outside and Carlie couldn’t believe that she was about to sleep in the living room with the big windows.

“The thing is, JJ,” Carlie turned to look at him, knowing that he followed her. “Is that you have to come to my house to get them. There’s a good chunk of them in my drawers.”

Carlie found a blanket and crawled on the bed. She heard John B call out some sort of goodnight to her and JJ. JJ, following Carlie’s lead, fell onto the pull-out bed. JJ rolled over to face her. 

Carlie looked right back at him for a few moments before asking, “Why are you staring?”

“You know you’re my favorite, right?” JJ asked, knowing that what was to follow. Carlie laughed, “I better be.”

This was their usual banter. Joking about how they are each other’s favorites.

JJ took some of the blanket Carlie had and covered himself, fully aware that he’ll probably wake up with none of it. Carlie would admit that she was a blanket stealer with no hesitation. 

Another few moments pass before Carlie spoke again. “My parents are coming back.”

“And you’re not looking forward to it?” JJ, well, everyone in the group, knew that her parents were a touchy subject. In a way, her parents leaving her and her older brother, Carson, with their grandma, was basically a form of childhood abandonment, but one where she sees them every so often and only for a week or two at a time. The last time she recalls seeing them was around winter break for Christmas and New Year’s. Carlie didn’t see any of her friends that week because of them. William and Olivia Brooks weren’t controlling, but claimed that she saw her friends all the time. Who’s fault was it for not being around?

“They’re only coming for Midsummer’s and are staying for a week.” Carlie groaned.”It means that I’ll either not see you guys or barely see you.”

JJ grabbed her hand. Carlie looked down at it for a moment, considering Pope’s words from earlier. Then, stopped. This was JJ’s way of showing her that he was listening since it was just the two of them.

Carlie continued on, “And Carson’s only coming back for that weekend, trying to keep his visit short so that he only interacts with them little as possible.”

“Well, at least you’ll see Kie at the party. Her parents are making her go, too.”

The wind and rain from Hurricane Agatha was getting stronger. After living through a few other major storms and hurricanes, that honestly, if Carlie thought she was in any actual danger, she’d be staying in the spare room. “Yeah, you’re right.” 

They continued to talk until Carlie fell asleep, as per usual. She was always the first one in the group to fall asleep, no matter the consequences.


	3. 3

The sun was blinding through the living room’s big windows when Carlie woke up. John B was making his way through the hallway and JJ was snoring away on the other side of the pull-out.   
“Yo, JJ, you been outside?”

“I have polio, bro. I can’t walk.” Carlie shoved him with her leg. JJ didn’t move, which was normal.

“What about you, Carls?”

Carlie groaned as she opened her eyes, “Dude, I just woke up.”

As John B went outside to check the damage, Carlie got up to change clothes in the spare bedroom. Grabbing the bag that she dropped in there the night before, she started to pull out the clothes and swimsuit for the day. A blue and white thin-striped bikini with a pair of ripped jean shorts and an oversized blue-gray shirt. Unbinding her braids, she quickly tied her hair up into a lazy bun.

Pulling her phone out of the bag, she saw that she had no service. Guess I’m not texting Mimi, she thought to herself. 

Walking outside, she sees John B and JJ moving tree limbs and getting the boat ready to go out. “I swear, it’s like you two don’t know what a shirt is.” Carlie called out as she got closer to them.

JJ laughed, “It’s like I said last night, you take all of mine, so I don’t have much and John B here walked out like that.”

Carlie rolled her eyes. “What’s the plan for today?”

“Fishing.”

"Are you serious?" Carlie, for some unknown reason, despise fishing. The only thing she could do while the rest of the gang fished, was tan and that could get boring after a while.  
JJ laughed. "Nope, just joking. Now, c'mon, help us ge the Pogue into the water.

\--------------- 

Carlie discarded the shirt and put it back in the bag as the three of them got closer to town. 

Laying out on the front of the boat, Carlie got to work on her tan while listening to JJ and John B talk about the boats that they are passing. 

JJ mentioned as they came up on some people. “Hope Guffy’s boat didn’t sink, he doesn’t have insurance.”

“Yeah, hey Miss Amy, did y’all make it through?” John B called out.

“Still here!” The woman called out, quickly followed by her son, Nate, (who was the same age as the gang) “Hey, Carlie, looking good.”

Carlie waved her hand in response, knowing that Nate was hooking up with someone else on the regular. Boys like that annoyed her. It was different having one night stands, but flirting with someone when you had someone. Yuck. 

“She totally looked at me.” JJ was talking about Nate’s twin, Anna.

Carlie couldn’t help herself and let out a laugh as John B encouraged him.

“Heard that, Carls.” JJ called out, followed by, “Agatha, what did you do?”Carlie had to sit up and look at the damage that was ahead. “Whoa.”

The damage just seemed to get worse and worse. “We’ll be cleaning up all summer.”“That is my nightmare.”

“Look, what we have here.” JJ says as they near Pope’s family restaurant.John B, mimicking a walkie talkie, calls out, “We're having a safety meeting. Attendance mandatory.”

“I can’t. My dad has me on lockdown.” 

“C’mon, man.” JJ says, before mimicking a walkie talkie, “Your dad’s a pussy. Over.”

“I heard that, you little bastard.” Heywood comes over to the group.

John B responds. “We need your son.” While JJ follows with something about island rules and how we have free days after hurricanes.

Carlie scoffs, “You guys really know how to win over parents. Hi, Mr. Heywood.” Carlie made sure to put on the charm and her famous smile.

“Hi, Carlie. What do you need?” It was like Heywood was a totally different person when it came to Carlie. She seemed to be the most tolerable out of the group when Kie wasn’t around. Maybe even when she was. Whatever she did, parents seem to be like putty in her hands. 

“I was wondering if we could borrow Pope for a bit? I promise that whatever you need him to do, I’ll stop by and help with it before my shift at the boutique.”

Heywood seemed to consider this for a moment before agreeing to let Pope go with the group.  
As the gang went on the way to pick up Kie, Pope came and sat by Carlie. “Thanks for volunteering to help.”

JJ looked over at her. “How the hell do you get parents to like you? It’s your superpower.”

“It doesn’t help that you called him a pussy. But, it is my superpower. Parents like it when you have a super responsible friend.”

“Are you really that responsible?” John B laughed. 

Carlie rolled her eyes as she got back into her previous position of laying down. She wasn’t ready to get into that conversation. There were days where she wanted to slap these boys upside the head for the ridiculous things they did and the times where they drag her into the problem. 

There are moments when she wonders how she is more responsible. Maybe it’s due to her parents leaving and her not wanting to be a complete burden on her grandma. Who knows?

As they finally made their way to Kie’s dock, JJ called out to her about what Kie had in her cooler, which usually was full of snacks and drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Soon enough, the gang got whatever they wanted to drink out of the cooler. Luckily for Carlie, there was some fruity tasting drink in there. She hated the taste of beer, but if it was the only thing available, she would resort to drink it. 

“Thanks, Kie.” Carlie called out as she sat at the back of the of the boat. Kie responded with a nod of her head and a laugh as JJ started to a do a so-called “party trick.” It was one that he usually tried to do where he let the wind direct his drink into his mouth. It did not work and will most likely never work. It was getting every where as the group tried to get him to stop. 

Then, the boat came to an abrupt stop. 

JJ is launched off the boat. John B and Carlie fall into the floor, with John B sliding to past the steering wheel and Carlie into the captain’s chair behind Pope. Pope is shoved into the steering wheel and Kie slides from her spot at the front to almost the very front.

Kie yells, “Jesus, Pope!” Carlie groans as she stands up. Pope quickly turns to silently ask if she’s fine. Carlie responds with a quick nod of her head, but is groping her side to check if her ribs are okay.

“You okay, JJ?” John B calls out to JJ, who has finally surfaced in the water.

With a groan, JJ responds with “I think my heels touched the back of my head.”

John B then asks if Kie is okay, who responds with “I’m all right.”

John B called from the front of the boat, “Smiles? You good?” 

With a slight hiss, Carlie answers, “Yeah, I think so.” 

As JJ swims to get back on H.M.S. Pogue, he asks what Pope did.

“Sandbar,” Pope answered. “The channel changed.”

“Yeah, no shit.” JJ panted as he swam. 

“This probably changed everything up.” John B said.

“I saved my beer, though.” JJ unmentioned as he swam towards the boat.

“Ah, well, congrats, JJ.” Carlie answered with another groan. If her ribs weren’t broken, they were definitely bruised. They were going to hurt tomorrow morning.

Pope was looking out at the channel at God knows what. “Hey, I think there’s a boat down there.”

“No way.” “Shut up. What?” Were said simultaneously by John B and Kie. 

“Guys, I’m serious.” Pope started to point out where he supposedly saw said boat. “There’s a boat down there.”

Carlie moved quickly to see where Pope was pointing. And wouldn’t you know it? There was a boat down there.

“Let’s go.” The gang started stripping to get into the water as fast possible. Carlie quickly shed her jean shorts and jumped in away from where JJ was and where John B landed. Pope was the last one as Kie had jumped in after Carlie. The gang quickly dived to the wreck of the boat and resurfaced after a few moments.

“You guys saw that, right?” JJ asked as soon as everyone resurfaced. Everyone responding with shock and laughter.

“That’s a Grady-White!” JJ exclaimed as the group swam towards their boat. “A new one of those is 500 grand, easy.”

Getting back on the H.M.S. Pogue was a struggle for Carlie with her side hurting, but she managed to do it as quickly as she could. She swung her legs carefully into the boat as John B mentioned that the wrecked boat was the exact one he saw the night before.

"Wait, you saw a boat last night?" Carlie asked.

“You surfed the surge?” Kie questioned.

Answering with a quick “yeah,” JJ quickly supported him. Carlie rolled her eyes. Of course, Kie would be upset that John B surfed the surge. Of course, JJ would be fully supportive of it.

“Wait,” Carlie panted, still out of breath from trying to get on the boat. “Do we even know whose boat that it?”

John B opened up the cargo hold, “No, but we’re gonna find out.” 

JJ was looking at the boat. “Bro, it’s too deep.”

“For the weak and feeble, JJ.” John B responded as he pulled out the Pogue’s anchor.

“Well, I’m not gonna resuscitate you. I’m making that very clear.”

John B laughed. “That’s fine.”

Pope saluted him as John B picked up the anchor and stood by the side of the boat. “Diver down, fool.”

Slightly adjusting the anchor, John B restated, “Diver down.”

“Yeah, he is.” JJ shoved him off the boat.As he broke the water’s surface, Carlie turned toward JJ. “Was that really necessary?”

JJ just smiled in return as the gang turned to look at the water, anxious. Moments passed, full of silence as Kie, Carlie, Pope and JJ waited for John B. 

When John B finally resurfaced, Carlie let out a breath that she didn’t know that she was holding.

“Any dead bodies? Pope asked as JJ asked about the looting potential. Carlie shook her head at the question.

“No and no.” John B answered the questions “I did find this motel key, though.”

Pope said in disbelief, “A key.”

“Yes, a key, Pope.” John B reaffirmed.

“Oh, great! We salvaged a motel key.” JJ mocked as he and Pope moved tfor John B to get on the boat.

“Guys, we should report the wreck to the coast guard.” Kie stated. “Maybe, we’ll get a finder’s fee?”

Carlie shared the same sentiment, except for the finder’s fee. “We should. It could be a hazard to other boats coming through here.”

“Yeah, maybe we will and not work all summer.” JJ was all about the finder’s fee and thanked Hurricane Agatha for the wreck.


	4. 4

As the gang arrived at the Coast Guard office, they could see that the place was overpacked with people looking for others, missing boats, etc.. JJ and John B went in to try and report, but it didn’t work out so well as the two of them didn’t even get a chance as the deskman was overwhelmed by other people. Kie and Carlie went leaned against the posts.

“Well, that went well.” John B stated.

Pope asked, “Then what’s the plan?”

“I know how we’re gonna find the guy who owns the boat.”

“Wait, we don’t know whose room it. It could be anyone.” Pope clarified.

JJ took the keys from John B and tossed them to Kie. “Well, I’m in.”

“C’mon, I’ll be lookout.”Kie told Pope as she followed JJ back to the Pogue.

John B quickly followed, “Finder’s fee man, and also, you’ll only be an accomplice.”

Carlie patted him on the shoulder. “If it makes you feel better, I don’t feel so great about this plan either.” She grabbed his arm, dragging him to the boat. 

After a short ride, the gang arrived at the motel. And it looked rough. Everywhere you looked, it felt as if it got worse.

JJ whistled, “And I thought that the Chateau was bad.”

“This place is a shit show.” John B stated.

Kie asked, “Is it motel or a meth lab?”

Pope and Carlie gave each other a nervous look. Neither of them liked where this plan was going.

“This doesn’t look like a place where someone with Grady-White stays.” John B said.

Pope cautioned, “No, it looks like a place where someone with a Grady-White would get killed.”

“He has a point.” Carlie was getting weird vibes from this place.

Finally, they started to move the boat closer to the land. JJ jumps off to tie the boat in place.

“You good?” John B asks. When he gets the answer from JJ, “All right, here goes nothing.” 

“Hey,” Pope called out. John B and JJ looked at him. “Don’t let him do anything stupid.” Pope pointed at JJ.

“We will.” JJ stated at the same time as John B’s “I’m not making any promises.”

Carlie moved towards JJ. “Be careful. Please.”

“I will.” He responded with a smirk.

Carlie gave him a look. “I’m serious.”

“I know.” John B then came over and the two of them headed towards the motel.

“I don’t like it when those two are alone.” Carlie said as the two boys moved farther away. ”God knows what they’ll get up to.”

“Exactly, I don’t trust them alone.” Pope agreed.

Carlie then turned towards Kie, “What was that with John B? Your worry for him has tripled since he’s been told that he might have to leave.”

“This is all he’s known. You, Pope, and JJ are all he’s known.” Kie said. “What about you and JJ? You two were over there, having a moment too.”

Carlie did not think that they were. “I was making it clear to him to be safe.”Carlie glared at Kie for insinuating that something had happened. 

Both Carlie and Kie didn’t utter another word as they three left in the boat waited.

“Let’s do twenty questions or something. I can’t stand the quiet.” Pope laughed. “Biggest pet peeve? Carlie, you first.”

Carlie hummed for a second before answering, “People misspelling my name. Like, ask me how to spell it before you attempt it.” Pope laughed at that statement.

“Biggest pet peeve?” Kie clarified. “Easy. Giving one percent to the environment.”

“What’s wrong with that?” Pope asked.

Kie scoffed,” We only have on Earth. We should be giving it one hundred percent.” Kie has told, not just the gang, but anyone who would listen about giving back to the planet and saving the animals. Carlie is all for it, but it does get a little tiring hearing about it. 

“That’s not fiscally sound, you know that?” Pop argued.

“Well, neither is destroying the planet.” Kie argued back.

During this little squabble, Carlie noticed a sheriff’s truck show up.

“Uh, guys.” Carlie whispered. “The cops are here.”

“Call them.” Pope told Kie.

“We can’t. The towers are down.” The three of them moved off the boat.

Pope groaned, “If I lose my merit scholarship, I’m gonna kill someone.”

Carlie whispered right back, “I’ll help you.”

The three of them began to spy on the cops from behind the fallen motel sign. 

“Maybe they’re looking for a room?” Pope questioned as someone pointed the cops in the direction of the room that coincidentally was the one that JJ and John B had gone through. 

Kie stated in return.“They’re going up.”

Carlie cursed, “Oh, shit. I knew something was gonna happen.”

With no way to signal the guys that the cops were heading their way, Carlie, Kie, and Pope headed towards the side of the building.

“What are we gonna do? They are inside the room!” Carlie called out as they headed over there. 

Pope looked on the ground to see something can help. He then bent over and picked up something. That something happened to be a rock.

“Are you gonna do what I think you’re gonna do?” Carlie asked right before Pope through the rock. 

The rock didn’t go anywhere near the window. 

Kie quickly groaned, side-eying Pope. “Did you ever play baseball?”

“I was on the math team.”

Carlie rolled her eyes, “Jesus Christ.”

Kie quickly found some more rocks and tossed one at the window. When the first one didn’t work, they took a pause before throwing another. Finally, John B looked out the window. Kie, Carlie, and Pope quickly signed that the cops were there. The three of them quickly ran back to the boat, getting ready to leave.

“Should we peel?” Kie asked.

Pope shook his head. “Never leave a Pogue behind.”

The longer that JJ and John B, the more nervous Carlie got. She never knew how they got into all sorts of trouble, but once again, here they were.

“Okay, maybe we should.” Pope said after a few moments.

Carlie groaned, “They’re outside of the window.” 

Why, why, why are they even in this situation? 

Pope signaled to them and questioned what they were doing. They, in return, motioned to him to hold on.

“I’ve never been more nervous in my life.” Carlie stated as they kept watching the two boys on the ledge. 

Moments of more silence passed before, right before her eyes, JJ dropped something. Whatever it was made a couple of thuds before it landed on the ground. 

Carlie groaned. He did not just drop something and make the cops aware of them. Carlie quickly moved to sit on the boat normally as to not draw attention, as did Pope.

Eventually, the cops left the room and the boys got back to the boat. The group quickly left the motel.

“Well, that was fun.” JJ laughed.Could have warned us sooner." 

Kie scoffed. “We would have if Pope wasn’t on the math team.”

JJ quickly asked, “You were on the math team?” Carlie shoved his shoulder with a laugh.

“Look,” John B started. “The cops took everything like it was a crime scene.”

“Did you at least find anything?” Pope questioned.

“Did we find anything?” JJ restated. “No, I don’t think so. Oh, yeah we did.” He brought out a big wad of cash and a gun from his pants.

“Oh my god, JJ.” Carlie slid away from him and sat on the seat in front of the windshield. “What the hell?”

Pope was still in shock. “Why would you take either of those things from a crime scene?”

“What? Better than the cops having it.” JJ rationalized.

“JJ, this is serious!” Carlie called out. 

Pope started to freak out. “I’m gonna lose my merit scholarship.”

JJ started to calm him down. “You have us, at least,”

“I’m living the nightmare.” Pope affirmed as he sat back down beside John B. 

The gang got back to main docks and were hanging with the other locals. A few moments later, a body was pulled from somebody’s fishing boat. 

“Who’s that?” John B asked as a woman ran the body, crying almost somewhat hysterically.

Grace, a local girl their age, responded. “It’s Scooter Grubbs. He was out last night during the storm.” She then preceded to show the group a picture of the body. Carlie declined to see it. She didn’t need that image in her head.

“Hey, do you know what kind of boat he had?” JJ asked.

Grace shut off her phone. “Somehow, he had copped a brand new Grady-White. Everyone’s out looking for it.”

Oh no. Not that boat. Please, not that boat.


	5. Chapter 5

Later, Back at the Chateau

Pope comes running up to the porch, claiming that the group didn’t see anything or know anything.

“Pope’s right for once.” Shocking everyone with that statement, JJ continued on. “See, I agree with you sometimes. Deny it all”

Kie spoke up, “We can’t keep that money.”“Yeah, it’s not right.” Carlie seconded. It wasn’t theirs.

“Okay, not all of us can afford unlimited data plans.” That was a low blow. Carlie hated when JJ made snide comments like that. Kie and her didn’t ask to have money.

“I just mean that we have to pass it on to Lana Grubbs. It’ll be bad karma.”

Pope scoffed. “Yeah, bad karma to be implicated in a felony. We gotta go dark.”

Carlie wanted to clarify this. “Like, completely ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about’ kinda dark?” 

Pope quickly nodded in response, making Carlie feel little better about everything.

“If that means that we keep the money, then I’m in.”

Then John B did something. “I don’t agree.”

“Wait, why?” JJ asked.

“Think about it.” John B paused before continuing, “This is Scooter Grubbs that we are talking about. The same dude that’s buying individual cigarettes at the Porthole. One time, I saw this same dude begging for change in the Save-A-Lot parking lot because he needed gas. We’re talking about a dirtbag marina rat who has never had more than 40 bucks in his pocket at a time, but somehow, suddenly has a Grady-White. I’m just sayin’.”

The group, at some point, moves out to the dock outside of the Chateau. Pope thrown a fishing line out and so has JJ. Carlie sits of the fence next to him while listening to John B in the distance.

John B is continuing his argument to Pope. “All right, think about it, Pope. How does a marina rat get a brand new Gray-White?"

Pope inhales before answering, “Prostitution.”

“Square groupers.” John B answers as if it was so obvious. “Okay, flying under the radar, no aerial surveillance. They don’t do that during a hurricane. And what exactly does that mean?”

“They were straight smugglin’.” JJ answers quickly. 

“Smugglin’.” John B reaffirms. “I guarantee that there’s serious amount of contraband in that wreck.”

Back in John B’s room, the gang reconvenes after a short break.

“For the record, if that boat is a smuggling ship, with illegal contraband in it, it probably belongs to someone else.”

“Minor details.” Kie interrupts and Carlie laughs for what feels like the first time all day.

“Those people could come looking for it.” Pope continues on without a pause. “Taking that contraband would catastrophically stupid.”

JJ moves to grabbed the cash in Pop’s hand that he’s been waving around, leaning across Carlie. “Right, well, stupid things have good outcomes.” He spreads the cash out in his hands. “All we need to do is figure out a way to get into the cargo hold of that wreck. Until then, we just lay low. Act like nothing haas happened.”

“And how do we do that? Hm?” Carlie asked.

Kie suggested the most common thing, “Kegger?”


	6. Chapter 6

As they started setting up, bringing the kegler, solo cups, and anything else, Carlie led the group to the Boneyard. 

“How is it that you get out of carrying anything down here. Carls?” Pope asked.

Carlie smiled and laughed, “Just lucky, I guess.”

Eventually, more locals, tourons, and kooks started to show up.

If you didn’t know, the kooks were the second-homers who stayed during the summer. Carlie was technically one of them, but really didn’t have a second home. Her parents had one on the Figure Eight, but were rarely there. The only times Carlie had ever been at the house were during her parents’ trips home and Christmas. She would be there in a few days with barely any joy as she would be required to go to Midsummer, a party hosted by kooks. There was probably another thing to the party, but Carlie never bothered to learn it.

Carlie started drink more as the evening went by. A few guys, she didn’t know if they were local or not, had come by and hung out with her.

A cute boy with dark hair and green eyes that was sitting next to her, asked her, “So, what do you do for fun around here during the summer?” And that’s how she found out he was a touron. 

“Surfing, swimming, tanning, and hanging out with friends. Y’know, the usual.” Carlie smiled.

The cute boy took a drink of beer before saying, “You have a really nice smile.”

Carlie blushed. Actually blushed. “Thank you. I’m actually known for my smile around here.”

“Oh, really?” The cute touron asked.

Pope chose this moment to walk past her and whisper in her ear. “JJ, 10 o’clock.” 

Carlie looked up, and lo and behold, JJ was staring at her, even though he was talking to another girl. She quickly smiled in his direction while responding to the touron, “Yeah. My friends even call me Smiles.”

The cute boy and her kept talking until she heard Kie say, “What is she doing here?” 

The “her” in question was the “supposed” kook princess, Sarah Cameron. Her family was loaded. Although, to Carlie, she wasn’t that bad. On the other hand, Kie hated Sarah’s guts and to the rest of the gang, it was unknown exactly why. The year that Kie went to the posh kook school, they were best friends until they weren’t. Kie never told them why they had fallen out, just that they did.

Carlie looked in the direction that Sarah was on. She was sitting on an abandoned buoy that was on the beach minding her own business. At least, she seemed to be, at least according to Carlie. Her boyfriend, Topper, was trying to get down from it. Now, he was annoying. He thought that he was better than every because he had money. During the stays at the Figure Eight, he would always try to imply that Carlie was a horrible person for ignoring the fact that her family had tons of money, when to Carlie, he seemed horrible for boasting about his family riches. A total jerk. It didn’t help that he implied that her friends were horrible either when he didn’t even know them. That was another reason that Carlie tried to stay away from that part of the Banks.

As the night wore on, Carlie stayed talking to the cute boy and other locals further into the beach. That’s when a fight broke out. Carlie and the others that were more towards the back made their way to the front to see John B and Topper going at it. Topper was kicking John B into the ocean and Carlie wanted to get to her friends as quickly as possible, but people were getting in her way, chanting for the two of them to get a fight. 

She eventually made it to the front. “Stop it!” 

Why did she even yell? It wasn’t going to stop them from doing whatever they wanted. The crowd behind her was still chanting. She moved over to where Pope and JJ were.

“Stop encouraging them!” She told them as soon as she reached them.

“You don’t think I’ve tried.” Pope defended himself.

Carlie moved over to JJ and slapped his arm. He looked at her in shock.

When she knew she had his complete attention, she said, “Stop encouraging this, idiot!” He didn’t yell anymore after that.

Topper and John B got farther into the water and Topper flipped him into the water. Topper began pushing John B’s head into the water.

“He’s trying to drown him!” Carlie exclaimed as it went on. Sarah was yelling on the other, trying to stop Topper as well, but it fell on deaf ears. 

JJ then went a put the gun against his head. Once people realized that he had brought out a gun, they began to scatter.

“JJ, NO!” Carlie yelled out. Pope pulled her away from the water.

“Stop JJ!” Sarah called out.

“Did you say something, princess?”

While Topper was saying that things were good, Sarah asked him to put the gun down. Carlie started crying. Why did he bring that stupid gun?

“C’mon, man.” Topper started begging. 

Sarah called out, “Kie! Can you check your psycho friend please?” Pope turned and hugged Carlie so that she wouldn’t see what else was happening. He sensed that she didn’t want to know. Her tears were coming at full force it felt like.

“Okay everyone, listen up!” JJ called out. “Get the hell off our side of the island!” 

He then preceded to shoot the gun twice before Kie and Pope yelled at him.

“I was saving his life, okay?”

Pope let go of Carlie to go after JJ and Carlie went to help John B in the water.

“Guys, he fainted!”


End file.
